DUSTOFF Medic Podcast

In this episode, Trooper Mike Allen joins us to discuss the Arizona State Police's Aviation Unit.

Trooper Allen is a flight paramedic who came to AZDPS from the fire service. Mike discusses the history of the program, the criteria for flight medic selection, the types of missions they respond to, the types of continuing education they run, and some pearls of wisdom for medics looking to use their skills in the civilian sector. 

Seain, Keegan, and Joe were the last three DUSTOFF medics in Afghanistan during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal. In this episode, they describe their experience during the attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport's Abbey Gate.

Seain, Keegan, and Joe were the last three DUSTOFF medics in Afghanistan during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal. In this episode, they describe their experiences in the days and weeks leading up to the attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport's Abbey Gate.

ProPublica is a non-profit news site that published a comprehensive account of the Abbey Gate attack earlier this year; you can read it here. The U.S. Central Command conducted an investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the attack; that report is available on the U.S. Naval Institute's website.

COL (ret.) Jonathan Newmark, MD finishes up a fascinating conversation with Max on nerve agents. Dr. Newmark is a true expert in this subject and his depth of knowledge makes this episode a must-hear. 

Have a listen, and let us know what you think!

COL (ret.) Jonathan Newmark, MD sits down with Max for an in-depth discussion of nerve agents. Dr. Newmark dedicated much of his career to researching the treatment of chemical and biological casualties, giving him an extraordinary depth of knowledge on this topic. Dr. Newmark retired from the military in 2013, but continues to serve as a professor of neurology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. This is a rare opportunity to hear from one of the nation’s leading authorities on the medical response to chemical and biological warfare, and despite his extensive, high-level knowledge, Dr. Newmark tailors his comments very effectively to the role of the paramedic in these events. 

Have a listen, and let us know what you think!

Max sits down with David Shablak to discuss how to conduct high-quality training at the unit level. David is the co-host of the SimGeeks Podcast, a paramedic, and an expert in healthcare simulation. This is a great conversation for Medical NCOs and platoon-sized unit leaders who build and conduct training at their level.

During the conversation, David mentions a number of different resources for training, including the "This Old Man Manikin" series on his own YouTube channel, the Laerdal LLEAP software (we're not sponsored by them or anyone else), and the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. David also discusses credentialing in the simulation profession and opportunities for more learning through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. 

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Sgt. 1st Class Christopher A. Celiz was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic acts during an engagement with the enemy in Paktia Province, Afghanistan, on July 12, 2018. SFC Celiz saved the life of a wounded soldier from a partner force, and later used his body as a shield to cover the DUSTOFF aircraft that arrived to retrieve the wounded. SFC Celiz was mortally wounded during the engagement.
In this episode, we finish our conversation with the lead flight medic and pilot in command of the aircraft present that day. 
SFC Celiz is an American hero, and his actions saved many lives. The DUSTOFF crew from had a unique perspective, and by hearing from them we can both gain first-hand insight into SFC Celiz's bravery, and honor his memory.

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher A. Celiz was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic acts during an engagement with the enemy in Paktia Province, Afghanistan, on July 12, 2018. SFC Celiz saved the life of a wounded soldier from a partner force, and later used his body as a shield to cover the DUSTOFF aircraft that arrived to retrieve the wounded. SFC Celiz was mortally wounded during the engagement.
In this episode, we talk with the lead flight medic and pilot in command of the aircraft present that day. 
SFC Celiz is an American hero, and his actions saved many lives. The DUSTOFF crew from had a unique perspective, and by hearing from them we can both gain first-hand insight into SFC Celiz's bravery, and honor his memory.

Dr. Haney Mallemat, a triple-boarded critical care physician and Editor-in-Chief at criticalcarenow.com, joins us to discuss all things vasopressor related. During the interview, Dr. Mallemat mentions the Arginine Vasopressin During the Early Resuscitation of Traumatic Shock (AVERTShock) trial. You can find a summary of that study here, and deployedmedicine.com has a good video discussing the trial as well.

Dr. Mallemat also mentions a study describing a "central line-less" ICU while discussing the safety of vasopressin administration through peripheral IVs. You can find that study here:

• Cardenas-Garcia, J., Schaub, K. F., Belchikov, Y. G., Narasimhan, M., Koenig, S. J., & Mayo, P. H. (2015). Safety of peripheral intravenous administration of vasoactive medication. Journal of hospital medicine, 10(9), 581–585. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.2394

There's a new Training Circular 8-800, Medical Education & Demonstration of Individual Competence (MEDIC), and it is a major change from the last version. This episode is a deep dive into the new TC with the primary enlisted authors, MSG Kaleb Twilligear and MSG Hunter Black. Listen up as they talk about returning the responsibility for a ready medical force to the NCO level. Much of the conversation involves focusing on basic skills, from TCCC at deployedmedicine.com, to the 8-Step Training Model, to Troop Leading Procedures, the 68W STP, and even the Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills in STP 21-1-SMCT. F2s are the most highly trained medics in the conventional force, and we have a responsibility both as medics and NCOs to be familiar with these documents and ensure that we are meeting the standards they set forth.
The conversation also includes some strategies on how to work with your leadership on improving medical training at your unit, with a mention of a study linking a provider's familiarity with TCCC to the proficiency of the medics they supervise. There's also a discussion of a study from the Government Accountability Office detailing shortcomings in military medical training.
Have a listen and let us know what you think!